Java Methods

A method is a block of code which is executed only when it is called. The data are passed to the function which is known as parameters. The methods are used to perform certain actions and they are known as functions. By using Methods, we are able to re-use the code which means write once and use it many times.

Create a Method

All methods in Java should be declared within a class. The method is defined with the specific name along with the parameters, which is enclosed with the parentheses (). Java itself has many pre-defined methods, one such method is  System.out.println(). We can also create our own functions, to perform certain actions.

Example

public class MyClass {
                static void MyMethod(){
                                // Block of code to be executed when function has called
                }
}

From the above example,

• myMethod() is the name of the method.
• The static keyword means that the method belongs to the MyClass class and not an object of the MyClass class.
• The () means there is no parameters in the function. Any parameters in the method are given inside the parentheses.
• The void means that the method does not have a return value. The return type can be of any type which the method really wants to return.

Call a Method

To call a Method in Java, we use a Method name to call the function which is followed by two parentheses () and a semicolon (;)

In the following example, the function myMethod() is used to print a text, when it is called.

Example

public class MethodExample {
       static void myMethod(){
              System.out.println("Method called");
       }
       public static void main (String args[]){
              myMethod();
       }
}

Output

Method called

The method can be called multiple times. Hence, the method can be re-used multiple times.

Example

public class MethodExample {
       static void myMethod(){
              System.out.println("Method called");
       }
       public static void main (String args[]){
              myMethod();
              myMethod();
              myMethod();
       }
}

Output

Method called
Method called
Method called

In the above example, the method is called thrice in the main function.